Andre Cisco discusses how he envisions his role with Jags this season

While he’s just in his second season with the team, safety Andre Cisco says he wants to be a leader for the Jags’ roster.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will start camp in four days, and there are several players who fans are looking forward to hearing about. One of those players is safety Andre Cisco, who the team drafted in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The reason Cisco has become a fan favorite is because of his ball-hawking ability, which is something the Jags’ defense desperately needs. The unit only snagged seven last season, and if the Jags’ defense is to make any notable progress, that will need to change.

Unfortunately, Cisco wasn’t put in position to help the team much with that issue as he only started in the Jags’ last three games. However, he made the most of the starts he was given, and the experience helped him in organized team activities as he was one of the players who caught the staff’s eyes.

Heading into camp, Cisco told ESPN+ broadcaster, Luke Winstel, that he envisions himself taking more of a leadership role for the team as it seems he could be a starter for the Jags right out of the gate this season.

“Yeah, I’m looking to be a young leader,” Cisco said. “Someone that really puts effort towards changing the organization and becoming a winning organization. I think you have some [teams] in the league that everyone knows are winning organizations and I want to make Jacksonville one of those. I’m glad to be a part of it and I look forward to having a big year for them.”

Being a leader is something fans witnessed Cisco’s draft mate, Trevor Lawrence, do well on the offensive side, and it would be huge to see the former Syracuse safety do the same for the defense. There are certainly several players on that side of the ball who can show him the way like starting safety Rayshawn Jenkins and cornerback Shaquill Griffin, both of whom are a part of the secondary unit, too.

Later in the conversation, Winstel also asked Cisco about the new coaching staff as Doug Pederson was hired in February and brought in several new faces. Cisco said he believes the staff has done a great job of connecting with the team due to many of them playing in the NFL and added that he’s looking forward to his future with the group.

“Yeah, it was a great first impression throughout the spring and OTAs,” Cisco said. “We have guys who are former players on the defensive side, so they understand the shoes we wear each day and the responsibility and things we have to do to be in position to be ready for game day. I appreciate the guys we have and I look forward to working with them.”

Cisco finished 2021 with 26 tackles and was able to register a Pro Football Focus grade of 79.5 or higher in two of the three starts he had. With a good showing in camp, he should be able to add to his rookie success and be the X-factor that the Jags desperately need in their secondary.